Six friends get back together ten years after high school graduation for a reunion at a remote hunting cabin in the woods. Soon folks start to disappear. Is there a serial killer on the loose? Or is one of the six friends behind this reunion of terror? Director Michael A. Hoffman Jr., who also co-wrote the clever and compact script with Morgan Jones, relates the engrossing story at a snappy pace, generates a considerable amount of tension, delivers an abundant amount of nasty gore, and tosses in a decent smidgen of sizzling lesbian soft-core sex and yummy female nudity for good measure. The solid acting by the capable cast keeps the picture humming: Christian Anderson as scruffy redneck loner Jimmy, Monique Barajas as sultry free spirit Amanda, L.J. Green as the hip, but sickly Tyrone, Nori Jill Phillips as the uptight Michelle, John Shumski as a creepy ramrod game warden, Hallie Bird as enticing underage drifter Celia, and Mark Carducci as cocky jerk B.J. The true identity of the killer and the unexpected downbeat ending are both genuinely surprising while the fierce outbursts of brutal violence pack a vicious punch. The sharp cinematography by Jason Musco and Jennifer Ann Henry boasts neat use of a prowling camera and loads of strenuous slow motion. The ominous score by Ryan Copt and Joseph Buttle III does the rattling trick. A worthwhile slice'n'dice item.

I think I need to counterbalance some of the excessively positive reviews. Contrary to the overall rating, this is a bad movie.For one thing, the acting is terrible. How much would it have cost to find some actual actors, or acting school students? These people just didn't know what they were doing half the time.The direction is pretty bad, too. Lots of flashbacks, shaky cam, overcranked scenes, and film student wet dream shots. I mean, can't you just shoot the film and edit it? You're a budding director, not an artiste.The story has a single good idea in it. (No, it's not the lesbian prologue.) Everything else is just pretty dumb. (And why is it that ALL college students in movies nowadays are so unpleasant? They're all just maladjusted, creepy, outspoken, crude misfits. This is not true in real life.) Surprisingly, the SFX are not bad, ranging from tolerable to pretty good. I guess that's where the budget went.As far as nudity, it's obvious that the film maker(s) came up with a couple young ladies willing to do the lesbian scenes in a few hours, but that nobody else in the cast was willing to go for it. While the first few minutes of action are enjoyable, it really throws the whole tone of the movie off. Since it has very little to do with the remainder of the movie, I would have just skipped that aspect.Overall, not good.

The movie is well done. Looks very good. I enjoy the camera work. It keeps everything moving along. Sound track is phenomenal. The ending is gripping - a must see. An homage to some different classic films that make this worth taking a look at - and even a second or third look. Such as Friday the 13th and Prom Night. You will recognize the tribute when you view the film.Done well with out gratuitous violence - more suspenseful and over the top in the right places. I liked this horror flick. I saw this at it's world premiere at Milwaukee Massacre Horror Film Festival along with many other movies and this stood out. Well done movie. Acting worked for me. Story was easy to follow - some tasty nudity and then the ending twist make this a fun movie.

ROT is a bit different from most horror movies you'll see... it has a different take on what the word "terror" means by the end of the film. There is a lot going for the movie aside from plot; it is well-shot, has some very effective sound effects, pro camera moves, some good performances, and it keeps you entertained throughout (which is very tough to do for a feature on a low budget.) That said, there are flaws of course inherent with these sorts of projects. For each good performance there is a standard one, there are a few scenes with lighting problems, and parts of the script could have used some tweaking in this reviewer's opinion.If you are into horror movies and/or appreciate indie film-making, I highly recommend it. If you're curious about this project in the first place, I would also recommend it. Check ROT out! My buddy and I had a good time at the MKE debut.